Independence Day at the Cahills
by NatanIsTheBestCoupleEVER
Summary: The Cahills gather together to celebrate Independence day. Summary sucks but please read. Rated 'T' for safety.


**A/N: This is my first story ever so I hope you guys like it. Written for Independence day.**

**Disclaimer: NatanIsTheBestCoupleEVER does not own the 39 clues or anything else mentioned in this story.**

Dan Cahill was not happy in the least. The day started out okay. It was the fourth of July. He and his sister were on their summer vacation so they had no school. Everything was going okay. They had had a regular morning. He was even excited when he was told that he could pick out the fireworks. But it all went downhill once his uncle announced that the other Cahills were coming over to celebrate the holiday. At first, he was excited. He would get to see his buddies; Hamilton, Jonah, Ned, and Ted. But his good mood was quickly extinguished when one word crossed his mind; Kabra.

He quickly cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him and gave him their undivided attention. "Please tell me only the Holts, wizards, and starlings are invited." He pleaded.

His uncle gave him a blank look. "Actually, you're partially correct. You forgot the Kabras and Alistair."

Dan shrugged. "Oh well. Accidents happen. Guess the Kabras won't be coming since they didn't get an invitation."

Of course, his sister just couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Uncle Fiske said that you forgot to mention them, not that he forgot to invite them."

Dan grumbled back to her. "Unlike you, not everyone is excited to see the cobras."

Amy reached over to smack him but he quickly duck and laughed. Nellie decided to intervene before Amy murdered Dan. "Why don't you want the Kabras here Dan?"

Dan turned to her. "It's not that I don't want them here, it's just that I care about my life! Last time they were here, I was jonah dared me to prank Natalie by painting a ninja on her pink dress and then rig her dart gun so a banner that said, 'I.O.U. 6 darts- Dan' would pop out every time she pulled the trigger. And I know for a fact that she wants revenge."

Nellie and Amy were laughing hysterically and even Fiske smiled.

Dan looked at them. "I thought it was funny too. But that was before I knew she was going to come over for the holiday."

Nellie smiled. "I'm sure she'll totally forgive you. Just get her something and she'll totally forget about your pranks."

Dan beamed. "Your a genius, Nellie! If you need me, I'll be at the mall."

Fiske stood up. "I'll go with you. I need to check on an agent that's undercover at the mall."

Nellie cleared her throat. "Well, then I guess it's up to Amy and I to clean this house."

So Dan and his Uncle Fiske got in Fiske's car and headed to the mall. When they reached, Fiske turned to his nephew. "Okay Dan. We'll meet at the car in one hour. Here's your debit card. Go get the fireworks and whatever else."

Dan nodded and headed for Kay's Jeweler's. He walked in and looked around for something for Natalie. Immediately, he was approached by a man wearing a tux.

The man smiled warmly at him. "May I help you young man?"

Dan nodded. "Yes. I was looking for something for this girl. See, I did something to make her upset at me and now I want to fix it by getting her something nice. Any recommendations?"

The man's eyes twinkled. "This girl is really lucky to have a friend like you. Come with me. I might have what you are looking for."

He lead Dan to a glass case that held many beautiful pieces of jewelry; bracelets, broaches, rings, etc.

The man turned to Dan. "See anything you like?"

He scanned the display. He didn't find any that stood out to him. Just as he was about to walk away, one piece of jewelry caught his eye. He pointed. "That's the one."

The man smiled. "Excellent choice. Let's go ring you up."

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EPIC PAGE BREAK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Dan had just gotten out of Kay's and was on his way to Fireworks R Us. His friend, and fellow Cahill Ned Starling, worked there and was able to build giant fireworks in a matter of minutes. Dan had texted him about the fireworks just before he went into Kay's. And ten minutes later, he texted back saying they were ready for pickup.

As Dan walked in, Ned had just walked into the room with the last of his fireworks.

Dan shook hands with his cousin. "Hey Ned. Thanks for the fireworks. Your coming to the house later right?"

Ned grinned. "Yeah! What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't show? I'll be over by 8:00. If you need more fireworks, just let me know."

Dan grinned. "Thanks Ned." He paid for the fireworks and left. He bumped into his uncle just outside of the store.

Fiske smiled. "Got everything?"

Dan nodded so they walked to the car and drove home.

"We're home!" Dan yelled as they walked into the house. Then they saw everyone was there except for Ned Starling.

Hamilton, Jonah, Phoenix, and Ted all jumped up. "Dan!", they yelled simultaneously.

They all ran up to greet them, even Ian. "Good to see you again Dan."

He eyed him suspiciously. "Good to see you too... I guess."

Natalie was the only person who didn't come to see him. Dan sighed and made his way to her.

He put on a small smile. "Hey Nat. Before you say anything, I just want to apologize for your gun and your dress. Forgive me?"

Natalie smiled and then held out her hands for a hug. He walked forward and hugged her. She leaned forward and whispered into Dan's ear, "I know your sorry. But that doesn't mean you won't go unpunished. Watch yourself." She released me and walked away.

He just stood there until Hamilton came over. "Hey Dan. What's up?"

Dan just looked at him with big eyes. "Natalie... just hugged me. Then she practically said she was going to kill me. What do I do?"

Hamilton gave him a sympathetic look. "It's going to be okay Dan. You know what'll cheer you up? A swim in the pool. C'mon."

He sighed and then remembered the gift. He turned to Hamilton. "Wait right here. I need to grab something." He ran to Natalie's room and put the box on her table and a letter next to it. Then he ran to the living room and headed out to the pool with the others. 'Maybe ham's right. I really need to relax.'

He followed Hamilton out to the pool, the rest of the boys following behind. They all took off their shirts, already having swim shorts, and jumped into the pool. They were having a blast; swimming races, chicken fights, and Marco polo. They were having a great time, laughing and playing. Even Ian seemed to be enjoying himself.

Just then, the girls walked out of the house and everyone's jaws dropped. Amy was wearing a red one piece, Natalie was wearing a hot pink Prada bikini, the twins had identical purple swimsuits and towels over their shoulders, and Sinead had a vibrant orange two piece. Even Nellie had a gray bikini on. The girls giggled while the boys stammered to find something to say.

Then suddenly, Hamilton had a great, totally Holt-like, idea. "Let's play a water balloon fight. Boys against girls. You guys in?"

Everyone nodded enthusiastically. Hamilton and Dan went to the pool house to get the equipment. Ten minutes later, they returned with buckets of balloons and guns. Everyone grabbed as much as they could and then ran off in different directions.

Hamilton's voice called out from behind a rock. "Ready? And... Attack!" suddenly, the air was filled with balloons and water.

Dan, Ian and Hamilton were animals on the field. Hamilton was like a human catapult launching load after load of balloons. Ian was more stealthy. Every squirt of his gun soaked an opponent. However, it was Dan who was the M.V.P. of the team. He was a blur as each balloon took an enemy down. When he ran out of balloons, he quickly pulled out his dual pistols and shot as if his life depended on it. Soon, there was only two players left on each side. Natalie and Amy on the girls team, and Hamilton and Dan on the boys team. Hamilton threw his remaining two water balloons at Amy. She dodged them and squirted Hamilton before he could react. Amy was jumping up and down until she was hit by two balloons. Hamilton's water balloons hit the volleyball net and ricocheted back at her.

Now, it was all down to Natalie and Dan. Dan picked up some water balloons and threw two at Natalie. She easily dodged them and went in for the kill. She shot a stream of water at him. Dan quickly rolled out of the way and landed by the pool, right beside of Natalie. She predicted that and turned to meet him, quickly grabbing her guns. Dan just had time to react when he felt Natalie's gun dig into his neck. He smirked. Natalie thought, 'Why is he smirking?' He turned his head up and she followed his gaze. Above her head, Dan held a huge water balloon the size of a basketball. They were both smirking. They were at a standstill. Dan leaned his head forward slowly until their lips were centimeters apart. Natalie thought, 'Oh. My. Gosh. Is he going to kiss me?' Natalie awaited patiently but she felt eager to feel his lips on hers.

She was disappointed when he stopped. He smiled. "I guess this means that this game is a tie." And before she could say anything, he let go of the balloon. She automatically pulled the trigger just before she got soaked. Water soaked all over the two. After it was over, they both stood there, just looking at each other. Then they both burst out laughing and soon everyone was too. When the laughing finally subsided, Dan held out his arms to Natalie. She smiled and walked into his open arms and returned the hug. All the girls giggled and awed, but they boys grinned. They knew Dan was up to something and they were right. At first, Dan hugged her back. But then, a devious plan formed in his mind. He tightened his embrace on her, just so that she wouldn't slip out but not so much that she would be uncomfortable, and lifted her up.

She immediately knew what he was planning. She shrieked. "No! Put me down Dan!"

He walked to the edge of the pool and smiled at her. "Don't worry your not going in alone." He brought his head closer and whispered, "And just so you know? That hug was real." And before she could protest, he jumped backwards into the water, his back to the water and Natalie on top of him. Just before they hit the water, she looked at him but his eyes comforted her and she relaxed. They hit the water and made a huge splash.

They just resurfaced when everyone jumped in too, splashing them all over again. Ian looked over at Amy. "Shall we join our relatives?"

She nodded and together they jumped into the pool. Everyone was having a great time. After a while, everyone grew tired and got out of the pool.

As they were walking back to the house, Jonah suddenly had an idea. "Hey. Does anyone want to play Truth or Dare?" Natalie noticed that Jonah grinned at Dan particularly. She looked at Dan and saw him glare at Jonah.

When Dan spoke, she could hear the anger in his voice. "Last time you suggested that, you made me paint Natalie's dress and rig her gun!"

Natalie looked at him in shock. "You were forced to do that? I thought you did that on purpose!"

Dan shook his head. "I was dared by Jonah. And I've regretted it ever since. I would never do something like that to anyone on purpose, especially you."

Natalie's heart fluttered. They had just reached the door and everyone was walking in. She suddenly remembered what she did to Dan.

She was just about to tell him when he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm going to my room to take a shower. See you guys later." Natalie cringed as she saw him run up the stairs. Everyone drifted off to their rooms. Soon, only Natalie was left in the living room.

She just sat down when she heard Dan yell. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Everyone ran into the room just as Dan came down the stairs. He was holding his laptop in his hands... or what was left of his laptop.

He had tears in his eyes and he looked heart broken. He was crying so much, but he managed to choke out a few words. "W-who d-d-did t-this?"

Natalie raised her hand slowly. The look Dan gave her broke her heart. It wasn't anger, or sadness, or shock. It was of devastation and disbelief, which only made her feel more guilty. "I can't believe you..." He whispered.

Amy went forward. She tried to comfort him. "Dan..." He turned and ran to his room. Amy ran after him yelling, "Dan! Stop!"

Everyone turned to Natalie. She turned on Jonah. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't given Dan that stupid dare, we wouldn't be here right now!" Jonah looked down sheepishly.

She turned and took off for her room. She heard Ian call after her but she just ran to her room and slammed the door behind her. She flopped down on her bed. 'Stupid Jonah. It's his fault that this happened. Why'd he have to dare Dan? I've never seen him look so devastated before. I should go and check on him.'

She got up and was about to walk out of the room when something silver caught her eye. She turned to her bedside table and saw a silver box and a letter.

She sat down and opened the letter. 'Hey Nat. This is just a little something I got you because I felt bad for what I did. I never wanted to do it but I had no choice. Please forgive me. Love Dan.'

She put down the letter and picked up the box. Natalie couldn't help but gasp as she opened the box. In it was a beautiful necklace. It had a silver chain and a shiny diamond the size of a nickel in the shape of a heart. In the silver outline of the heart, little diamonds were encrusted in it. She turned it around and saw 'D&N' engraved elegantly in pink.

Her eyes watered up. 'I can't believe he got me this. And I was such a jerk to him. I need to go apologize to him.' She grabbed the necklace and walked out of her room. She walked up to Dan's room and saw Amy outside.

Amy stood up as Natalie reached her. Amy shook her head. "I've tried everything. He won't open up."

Natalie smiled gently. "Let me try."

Amy nodded and left.

Natalie turned to Dan's bedroom door. "Come on Dan! Open up! It's me, Natalie."

Dan's voice was muffled. "Go away!"

Tears silently rolled down Natalie's face. "Please Dan! I'm So sorry! Please let me in."

The sound of locks clicking could be heard. Natalie pushed open the door to see Dan sitting on his bed. She made her way over to him and sat down.

She felt the tears roll down her face. "I'm so sorry Dan. I've never been more sincere about anything. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness but I just want you to know that I'm really sorry." She was about to leave when he pulled her back down and into a kiss. It lasted for a few minutes and when they finally pulled away, both of them were beaming.

Dan smiled warmly at her. "I forgive you. And...I love you Natalie."

She smiled back. "I love you too. And I love my new necklace. Could you...?" She trailed off but Dan understood. He draped the necklace delicately over her and clasped it behind her neck.

She touched it fondly. 'It's beautiful."

Dan leaned in again. "But not nearly as beautiful as you." And he kissed her again.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the room filled with squeals from the girls.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EPIC PAGE BREAK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

'Where is he?' Dan thought. It was 11:45 and Ned still wasn't here with Dan's special present. Suddenly, a car pulled in the driveway. Ned's car. Dan ran over just as Ned was pulling a huge firework out of the car. **  
**

Dan sighed in relief. "Your a life saver Ned. Do you mind?" Ned gave him a thumbs up and Dan ran back to the pool where everyone was. He checked his watch. 11:55. Right on time. He took his place on a lawn chair next to Natalie's.

He grinned at her."I have a surprise for you."

Before she could answer, everyone's alarms went off. It was officially midnight. Ned launched the rocket out into the sky. Everyone watched as it exploded, and the message was shown. It read, 'I love you Natalie Kabra. Dan Cahill.'

Natalie turned to her boyfriend. "This is the best surprise ever." And with that, their lips met and a whole new fireworks show appeared.


End file.
